


It Will All Work Out In The End

by Storagethoughts85



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bee Miraculous, Dragon Miraculous, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Major Character Injury, New Miraculous Holders, Rejection, Slow Burn, Stitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:55:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23411248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storagethoughts85/pseuds/Storagethoughts85
Summary: Chloe has secret feelings for a certain baker girl when she goes to tell her, it turns out Marinette had enough of everything, Chloe does the best thing she can do, she tries her best to help her get close to Adrien, ignoring her feelings as she does, turns out Adrien isn't so straight. Everyone is hiding feelings and growing some, it will take something tragic to fix everything.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Chloé Bourgeois/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 87





	It Will All Work Out In The End

Monday

It was nerve-racking, oh, so nerve-racking, she let out a deep sigh before walking out of the classroom, her eyes darting every direction, knees buckled as she grew closer, she stopped in front of a door, her heart was rattling against her chest, it had to be her imagination, it had to be. She flinched when she heard a whimper come from the door, her face scrunched and she walked in, no fear, no doubt, as the door shuts, a gasp comes from one of the stalls and she freezes when familiar shoes come into view. In the corner of her eye, she could see black flats facing the stall door, silence filled the air and she had enough, she picked up her feet and walked over to the stall.

She knocked and took a step back, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, " Um, this stall is occupied," a knowing voice squeaked, it sounded forced and hoarse, she could see the girl's shoes fidget in panic, " Marinette, I know you're in there, come out, I need t-" the stall slammed opened cutting her off, standing there was Marinette, her eyes red with tears stains going down to her chin. Marinette's face scrunched up, " What do you want, Chloe," she barked, her voice hoarse, Chloe could feel her nerves acting up, but she stood tall, " Dupang-Cheng, why are you crying in the bathroom, alone," she asked, a hint of concern spilling out, Marinette tore her eyes away from Chloe's, " That's none of your business, so leave," Marinette grips her shirt, still avoiding eye-contact.

Chloe would sometimes find this act of Marinette adorable, but this time, she wasn't embarrassed or nervous, she was upset, and that didn't count, Chloe grabbed her arm, causing her to look her in the eyes, Marinette's eyes were filled with panic and shock, " Dupang-Cheng, don't talk to someone without making eye contact, it's considered rude," Chloe said, her voice filled with command. Marinette shook her head out of a daze and tried to remove her arm from Chloe's grip, " Let go," Chloe stared at her face, her eyes were filled with fear and gloom, regaining control she pulled her closer, " Not until you tell me why you're crying in this bathroom, alone," Marinette stopped and squinted her eyes at Chloe.

Marinette gritted her teeth, her eyes falling on the floor, before staring back into Chloe's, " You wanna know why I'm crying, let alone in a bathroom, you really wanna know, don't you, I'm crying because I'm tired of being treated like a doll, you constantly sling me around until you're bored, then you're always trying to get Adrien's attention, leaving me there to watch, because you know, I like him, that is why I'm crying, alone in this bathroom, are you happy, huh," Chloe watched as tears fell down Marinette's cheeks, hitting the floor.

Chloe ungrasped Marinette's arm, watching her try to get rid of the tears falling on her face, Chloe felt her ears ring and chest tighten before she let out a sigh, " Look, Marinette, please listen when I say this, everything that I did to you was out of jealousy, yes, I know I was trying to get his attention, but not in that way, Adrien is like a brother to me, I'm scared of losing him, we both took care of each other when bad times came, my mother leaving and his dying, we had each other, if he leaves, then it will be like my mother all again," Chloe fiddles with her yellow jacket before looking back into her eyes. Marinette was staring back at her with uncertain eyes, " I want to fix everything that had happened between us, so, I'm going to help you get with Adrien," Marinette's eyes widen, before squinting, looking at Chloe suspiciously, Chloe reached into her pocket, a pen in her hand, she grabbed Marinette's arm, rolling up her sleeve and writing her number on her arm before rolling it back down.

She put the cap back on the pen, and slid it in her pocket, " There if you wanna talk about Adrien or need help, just call me, no jokes, only truth, to make things even better, I won't tease you anymore, or make fun of your friends, I promise," Chloe watches as Marinette stares back at her, her mouth open slightly, eyes full with shock. Chloe wiped Marinette's tears before stepping back, " Now, no more crying, it's not good for your complexion, bye-bye," Chloe waved and walked out of the bathroom, Marinette just stares in her direction, jaw-dropped, Chloe leans against the wall, breathing heavily, her chest tightening, " Looks like I'm going to have to put those feelings aside," she says to herself, laughing before walking into someone.

She put her hand on the wall, before meeting green eyes, " Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry," Adrien said quickly, holding his hand out, Chloe grabbed it and forced a smile on her face, " It's alright, Adrien, don't freat," she watches as he gives her a sheepish smile, " Still, I wasn't looking where I was going," Chloe shook her head before raising her brow, " It's fine, Adrien, just a little accident, it's not like it wasn't going to happen," Adrien nods, still smiling. Chloe removed her hand from his grip, " Adrien, is it okay, to help those you love even if it hurts," Adrien's smile drops, he gives her a concerned look, " Chloe, are you okay," she bites her tongue, " Just answer the question, Adrien," he goes to grab her hand but pulls back, and sighs, " Chloe, helping those you love can hurt, but being there for them is what makes it worth it, it will work out in the end, even if something you want is not given," Adrien says, smiling warmly.

Chloe embraces him, burying her face into his neck, envy and pain filling her heart, she grips him tightly, not wanting to let go, because if she does it's real, Adrien hugs her back, confused and still concerned, Chloe fights back tears forming, and she sniffles. Quickly she composes herself, and steps back, " Thanks, Adrien, I needed that, don't worry about me, I just need some space to figure something, I promise I'll be fine by tomorrow," Chloe gives him a small smile before walking past him, staring straight ahead with doubt and fear in every step.

Tuesday

She didn't go to school today, no, she told her father she wasn't feeling well, and he left her with some soup and a kiss on the forehead leaving for another meeting, Chloe let herself fall on her bed, and let it consume her, when she woke up, her phone was ringing, signaling a call, she grabbed her phone and pressed answer, still laying on her bed, she brought her phone to her ear. A voice she recognized, brought her up, Chloe looked at the phone of her screen, seeing an unknown number, " Hello, is this Chloe," the voice said, Chloe's heart starting again beating like a drum, her phone fell out of her hand, she fell off her bed trying to grab it, it hit her head and she groaned, " Hello," the voice said.

Chloe grabbed her phone, and put it on speakerphone," Yes, this is Chloe, who is this," she asked even though she knew who was calling, Chloe could hear muttering on the other side before a sigh, " It's Marinette, remember you gave me your number," Marinette said, uncertainty in her voice, " Oh, yes, I remember, do you need anything, Marinette," Chloe stared at her phone, waiting for a reply. A quick mutter came from the speaker, Chloe could hardly decipher what she just heard, " What again," she asked, a groan came from the phone before a sigh, " I n-eed he-lp w-ith tal-king to Adri-en," Marinette squeaked, Chloe was lucky enough she knew Marinette when growing up to understand anything she just said.

Her heart squeezed, she sat up and leaned on her bed," Mmhm, Marinette I'm not trying to sound rude, but you need to fix that stuttering problem, if you don't, how is Adrien gonna understand any of the words that come out of your mouth," a sound of something hitting the ground and sharp yelp comes from the speaker. Chloe listens with concern, " Marinette, are you okay," a groan came in reply, " I'll take that as a no, Marinette how about you come over so we can work on that speech quirk," a painful sound of something hitting the wall then a sharp groan, " Marinette, hello, are you there," muttering comes from the other end of the phone, " Yes, I'm here and fine, just tripped," Marinette laughs sheepishly.

Chloe nods, " So no," Marinette jumps, " Yes, I mean, yes I will like to come over and work on my speech," Chloe smiles to herself before getting up," How about in twenty-minutes, does that sound fine," Chloe looks at her closet, squinting at the selection, " Yes, twenty-minutes sounds fine, see you until then," Chloe nods and the call ends. She found herself looking in the mirror, " This is not about you, just remember that," she says to herself, her smile dropping and a frown taking its place, quickly she takes a shower and gets dressed in casual clothing, Chloe again stared in the mirror, taking in her appearance, a knock erupted her thought and she headed towards the door and opened it, standing in front of her was Marinette with a notebook in hand, along with a nervous smile on her face.

She moved out of the way, and Marinette walked in clutching her notebook, Chloe closed the door and turned to her, " So, what's up with the notebook," Marinette gave her a sheepish smile, " You know, just to take notes on anything, Adrien-related," Chloe covered her mouth from laughing, she coughed into her hand, nodding, " First, you need to relax, if not, we're practicing for nothing," Marinette nodded. Chloe watched as the girl closed her eyes and do breathing exercises, Marinette's eyes fluttered open and she sighed, " Now, we need to practice, put your notebook on my dresser, and pretend I'm Adrien, how would you greet him, how would you ask him out, it's simple," Marinette quickly put her notebook on Chloe's dresser and walked over to Chloe.

Blue eyes stared in a daze to see Marinette put on a confident look and mutter to herself, Chloe stood there waiting, Marinette took a deep breath, before walking towards Chloe, " Hey-ahh," she tripped over her foot and fell face flat on the carpet, Chloe's eyes widen and she crouched down, " Marinette are you okay," she asked, worried, Marinette let out a groan, Chloe grabbed her hand and lifted her. Marinette face was scarlet red, from embarrassment, Chloe pulled her hand back, " That was so embarrassing, ugh," Marinette covered her face, shaking her head, Chloe let out a giggle and covered her mouth, Marinette looked from her hands, before laughing herself.

She joined her, the two stood there laughing for a few minutes before sighing," This time, no ones falling on their face, just relax, and talk to me when your ready," Marinette sighed and smiled at Chloe, " Hey, Adri-en, how are y-ou, tha-nks, my day was also good, so, I-I was wond-ering if yo-u wa-nted togoout," Marinette said stuttering and quickly, again her face scarlet. Chloe's heart squeezed at the scene, " That wasn't awful but it wasn't good either, so, its progress," Marinette nodded, still red.

" It's getting late, I think you should get home before your parents start to worry," Chloe says, bitting her inner cheek, Marinette quickly took out her phone, her eyes widening, " It's already seven," Marinette exclaimed, Chloe, nodded, " Thanks for helping Chloe, I'll text you if I have any other problems," Marinette waved goodbye, before shutting the door. When the door closed, Chloe let herself fall on knees, clutching her chest, with tears forming in her eyes, _It's not about you, just remember_ , Chloe wipes her eyes and gets up, she lets out a sharp sigh and opens the door, " Maybe a nice walk would clear my head," she let her feet do the most of the work, as she stared straight ahead, a figure impacted with her, sending the two to the ground.

Chloe opened her eyes, and look straight ahead, " Nathaniel," she said, surprised, Nathaniel blinked at her, and he jumped up, " I'm so so so sorry," he said quickly, holding out his hand, Chloe took it and he lifted her, before picking up his notebook, " I'm truly sorry, please don't send your father after me," Nathaniel cowered.

Blue eyes looked into his sea-green eyes, seeing fear, Chloe frowned at this, " I'm should be the one saying sorry, truly, Nathaniel, I'm sorry for many things, for crushing your dreams and showing everyone your artwork, when I knew it was very personal, I hope you can forgive me," sea-green eyes widened, Nathaniel pinched his arm, wincing, "I'm dreaming right," he said, looking around. Chloe shook her head, " No, you're not, everything that just happened right in front of you is real," Nathaniel nodded, and turned to her, " Wait, you apologized to me," Chloe nodded.

A grunt comes from nearby, the two go silent and listen, " Cough up the money old man," a rough voice says, Nathaniel starts to shake, Chloe's brows furrow and she walks past Nathaniel, Nathaniel turns to her and grabs her arm, " What are you doing," he whispers, Chloe narrows her eyes at him, " I'm going to see what's going on and stop it," she pulls her arm back and heads towards the noise. Nathaniel grabs his hair in frustration, before following her, Chloe peeked around the corner seeing a man pointing a knife at an old man with a cane, Nathaniel peeked behind her and froze, " I said to hand over the money, old man," Chloe leaves her hiding place.

Nathaniel panics and clutches his phone in his pocket, his eyes light up with realization, Chloe walks up to the man, her fists gripped, the man turns to her, gripping his knife, " You best stay back, brat," she scoffs at him, " And you best put away your weapon, and leave this man alone," she said, the man gritted his teeth and pointed the knife at her, "You're asking for it brat, you better shut your mouth and go," she rolled her eyes unamused. He growled under his breath and walked over to her, she still stood her ground with no fear whatsoever, he grabbed her shirt and lifted her, " I have asked time and time again, this time, I'm gonna cut that smug look off your face," a small rock hit his head, and he quickly looked up, seeing Nathaniel glaring at him, still shaken, " L-et her go," Nathaniel shouted.

The man gripped his hand, and threw Chloe against a few trash cans, the ruckus caused the police to spot them, in seconds they had him pinned by guns and tasers, Nathaniel slid off the stairs and headed towards Chloe. She grabbed the side of her head, " Chloe, are you okay," he asked, filled with concern and fear, she nodded and grabbed his hand, the two walked over to the paramedics, Chloe gets an ice-pack while Nathaniel gets a towel, still shaken, a reporter and cameraman run over to the two.

Chloe and Nathaniel shielded their eyes from the bright light, " Mrs. Bourgeois what made you do such a heroic act tonight, along with your boyfriend," the reporter asked, Nathaniel's face redden, he shook his hands, " Oh, we're not dating," Nathaniel turned to her, and smiled," We're just friends, Chloe was like ....." he continued, Chloe joined him, both were smiling. Ten minutes later everything was back on its normal pace, " Excuse me," a voice called out, Chloe and Nathaniel turned, seeing the old man, the two walked over to him, " I wanna thank the both of you, for risking your life for old me, here," the old man handed Chloe a yellow comb and Nathaniel a black necklace with a red orb in the middle.

Before the two could speak, he was gone, the two turned to eachother and began laughing, Chloe put the comb in her hair while Nathaniel put it around his neck, " Looks like I should get going, it's getting late," Nathaniel said, grabbing his phone, Chloe nodded, looking at her hands, " Hey, Chloe, friends," he said holding out his hand, she took it and the two shook, he pulled his hand back and walked off. Chloe took a cab home, when she reached her bed, she let herself sink in.

Wednesday

When Chloe stepped out of her limo, she got tackled, and leaned against the limo for support, " Are you okay, are there any scratches," Adrien said quickly, gripping her tightly, Chloe sighed, " I'm fine, Adrien, just a little scratch on my forearm, so can you please release me," he pulled back, and examined her, making her groan and push past him, " I'm not a child, so don't treat me like one," Adrien turned to her, giving her a small scowl. She raised her brow, " Why weren't you at school yesterday, you nearly gave me a heart attack, then around nine-thirtyish I get a notification from Nino, saying you and Nathaniel were on the news about saving an elderly, Chloe you got thrown into a wall, of course, I'm gonna be worried," Adrien said, gripping his hands.

Chloe frowned and fiddled with her jacket zipper, " I'm sorry, Adrien, I told you I needed space, and then I felt like going on a walk, it just happened and I just couldn't stand there letting him get hurt," Chloe said, letting her eyes fall to the ground, Adrien frowned and embraced her again. " I'm sorry for getting upset, it's just that you scared me, just promise to text me next time," she nodded and pulled back, " So I heard you and Nathaniel are friends," Adrien said smirking, Chloe playfully hit him and smiled," Don't get the wrong idea, we're just friends," he puts his hands up surrendering, before grabbing her arm, " Come on, let's get to class," she followed him up the steps, feeling eyes on her, she looked to left and met eyes with Marinette.

She turned back, and managed to slip away unnoticed, Chloe walked into the bathroom and washed her face, " Excuse me, Chloe," a high pitched voice said, she looked up in the mirror seeing a small yellow figure flying beside her, with large blue eyes and bee-like fur, she jumped back in surprise, " Don't fright, I'm a kwami, my names Pollen, and I've been given to you because my master knows that you have what it takes to be a hero, your job is to fight alongside with the other miraculous holders to save the city of Paris from Hawkmoth," Chloe beams. She was gonna be a hero, just like Ladybug, " Your heroine name is Queen Bee, and your miraculous is your comb, so don't let anyone take it, all you got to do is say buzz on to activate and buzz off to deactivate, right now the other miraculous holders need your help," Chloe touches her comb and nods, " Buzz on," she watched as her clothes changed into a bee-like suit, along with a dreidel in her right hand.

The screams of citizens snapped her out of her daze, and she ran out of the bathroom and out of fire escape window, using her dreidel to swing across to another building, in the distance she could see a red and black blur, then out of nowhere she impacted with somone sending her on top of them, she opened her eyes seeing sea-green ones staring back at her. " Chloe," the familiar figure said, her eyes widen in realization, " Nath," he nodded, she quickly got off him and pulled him up, " Is that you, Nath," she asked looking him up and down, his red hair was sticking up like spikes but straight and his costume resembled a dragon, he even had horns sticking out of that spiky hair of his.

Nathaniel grinned and nodded, " My name is Queen Bee, and yours," Nath bowed before winking, " My name is Liin Drakon, please to be your acquaintance, My Queen," Chloe shook her head, and rolled her eyes, " Don't you go acting like Chat Noir," he grinned and picked up his staff, " But I must, since your a Queen, it's my duty to protect you, and I'm not taking no as an answer," a scream caused the two to jump. Chloe looked to see vines covering a building, plants were running among the citizens and letting out yellow dust, causing the citizens to fall conscious, Chat Noir was trying to hold them off but more were coming his way, " Nath, go help Chat, I got Ladybug," he nodded and jump off the building using his staff to get him safely on the ground.

She then headed towards the vine-covered building, when she reached the top she could see Ladybug struggling with vines surrounding her, the Akuma was watching with joy, Chloe used her dreidel to paralyze the Akuma for an amount of time, the vines froze and Ladybug turned to her, " The names Queen Bee, but that doesn't matter, I'll buy you some time and you do what you do best," Chloe turned back to the Akuma, a vine was heading straight towards her and she jumped. Letting her body do the rest, she was running around the building in circles, jumping and flipping, her body was growing tired, a vine got a hold of her leg and it flipped her upside down, " Queen Bee," Ladybug yelled, Chloe, looked over at her, " The Akuma is in her bracelet," Queen Bee nodded and used her free hand to swing her dreidel.

Then she let go, the dreidel swung over to the woman and wrapped around her torso, causing her to fall on her back, Ladybug ran over to the woman and took her bracelet, she threw it on the ground and smashed it with her yo-yo, the Akuma started to flap away but Ladybug used her yo-yo to cleanse it, the vine wrapped around Chloe's leg turned into flowers. The Blonde landed on hands and flipped on her feet, pink flowers were surrounding them, Chat Noir and Nathaniel ran to them, " My Lady, it seems we have a few new friends," Chat said looking over at Chloe and Nathaniel, Ladybug nodded and smiled at the two, Nathaniel walked over to Chloe and the two high fived, confusing Chat and Ladybug.

Chat came over to the two, with Ladybug on his trail, " My name is Chat Noir, and you two are," he asked, grinning, Nath grinned back, " Liin Drakon," Chat grabbed Chloe's hand and kissed it, his eyes meeting hers, " And you are, " Chloe smirked at him, pulling her hand back, " It's Queen Bee, and please keep your hands to yourself," Chat starred at her jaw dropped. Nathaniel bit his inner cheek to keep back a chuckle, Ladybug walked towards Chloe, holding out her fist, " Pound it," she said, Chloe starred at it with joy, she fist-pumped with Ladybug trying to hide her dopey grin, Nathaniel did the same with Chat, the four's miraculous's started to beep.

Chloe and Nathaniel waved the two goodbyes and left together in one direction when the two were sure they were hidden, they de-transformed, " That was so awesome," Nathaniel said, gripping his hands in excitement, Chloe nodded smiling herself, Pollen and Longg shared a look of hungry, Chloe and Nathaniel did the same, " Bakery,' they said in sync.

Chloe called a cab, the two go in, telling the cab driver their stop, a few minutes passed before they arrived, Chloe and Nathaniel walked in the Bakery, Chloe felt her heart stop as Marinette stared back at them, Nathaniel looked back at the two and had no doubt, " Honey macarons with a side of honey," Chloe said putting 8 euros on the counter before she walked over to a table. Nathaniel laughed nervously, quickly paying for his order before sitting in front of Chloe, " You, you like her, don't you," Chloe froze on the spot, Nathaniel felt a grin form as her face started to turn scarlet, " I-I-I don't kn-ow what yo-u're talk-ing abo-ut," she stuttered, her eyes falling on her lap.

Nathaniel busted out laughing, causing her ears to even turn red, the door to the bakery opened and standing there was Adrien himself, Nathaniel immediately stopped laughing and stared at his lap, his face turning bright red, Chloe noticed this and giggled herself, " Chloe, what a nice surprise seeing you here, along with Nathaniel," Adrien said, smiling warmly. Adrien pulled a seat and sat down beside them, " Hey Marinette the usual please," he said, turning to her, Marinette nodded, her face turning bright pink, Adrien turned back to them and grinned at Nathaniel, " I almost forgot to thank you for saving Chloe, I don't know what I would do if my sister got hurt," Nathaniel nodded, avoiding eye-contact, Marinette came over giving everyone their order.

" Hey, Marinette why don't you sit beside Chloe, that way we can all talk," Marinette squeaked, and took a seat beside Chloe, Chloe herself was feeling cornered, she carefully sneaked the small bowl of honey to her lap for Pollen to eat, she turned to Marinette seeing her shaking and fiddling with her shirt as Adrien talked to her. Chloe nudged Marinette, making her turn to Chloe, " Do it," Chloe mouthed, Marinette bit her bottom lip, quickly nodded and turned to Adrien, " H-ey, Adrien, I w-as wondering if you, you kn-ow wanted to ha-ng out tomorrow," Marinette said quickly, Adrien stared at her smiling still, " I would love to, Chloe, you Nathaniel in," Adrien said turning to Chloe.

Marinette felt herself internally scream, Chloe wanted nothing but to facepalm at Adrien's obliviousness, " If you want," Chloe forced out, Adrien grinned, getting up, " Tomorrow, at 2 pm," everyone but him nodded, " I best be going," Adrien waved everyone goodbye and walked out of the bakery. Chloe facepalmed, groaning, Nathaniel looked at her with concern, " That blonde idiot," Chloe said, Marinette drooped down in her chair, " Chloe, I'm gonna need your help, to prepare for tomorrow," Marinette said, getting up, grabbing the dirty cups and plates, Nathaniel gave Chloe a confused look, " Of course, don't worry, you can ask him next time," Marinette sighs in response.

When Marinette leaves, Nathaniel shoots her a look," Hold on, you're helping her ask out Adrien, even though you like her, why," Chloe shoots Nathaniel a warning look, " Hush, are trying to expose me, yes, I'm helping her, I want to tell her, I do, but, she loves him, not me, and I want her to be happy, it's better this way," Chloe gets up from her chair, walking towards the door. " Don't look at me like that, it's for the best," Chloe walked out of the bakery, getting into a cab, sliding her glasses down, before giving the cab driver directions.

A few hours have gone by before she heard a knock on her door, Chloe dragged herself out of bed, yawing, she opened the door, seeing Marinette with her notebook in hand, she stepped aside letting the blunette enter before she closed the door, " Okay, I already picked an outfit, I just need help on starting a conversation, along with learning a few facts, to deepen it," Marinette said, taking a seat on her bed, Chloe joined her. " It seems, you've been doing your research, tell me what you got," Marinette nodded, " So how has your modeling career been going, do you have any favorite hobbies, what do you do in your spare time, do you have any food preferences, if so-" Chloe waved her hands to stop," Marinette stop right there, your not a reporter or newspaper critique, forget any of those questions right now, repeat after me, be subtle," Marinette nodded.

" Be subtle, got it," Chloe sighed in relief, " Now open up your notebook, I got a lot of Adrien facts," Marinette opened it to the first page looking at Chloe with interest, " Adrien loves cuddling teddy bears still to this day, he wears Ladybug pajamas, I'm pretty sure he has Ladybug underwear, he takes fence lessons, he's not a big fan of the water, trust me, he likes to watch anime when he's alone, he likes to roleplay as Ladybug with me when he has time...' Chloe went on, Marinette happily wrote everything, her face bright pink. Chloe sighed, " Wait, you also cosplay with Adrien," Chloe's eyes widen and she starts to laugh sheepishly, " I-I said that, no, I think you misheard me," she said, avoiding eye-contact, Marinette grabs her chin and looks her in the eyes, " Remember Chloe, don't talk to someone without making eye contact, it's considered rude," Chloe felt herself slowly melt, under her gaze and hold.

Marinette laughed at her reaction, pulling back her hand, " Thank's so much, Chloe, you've been a real big help, I appreciate, I can vouch that you're changing," before Chloe could reply, Marinette hugged her tightly, Chloe slowly hugged back, feeling her chest tighten, and her eyes burn. When Marinette pulled back she gave her a bright smile before grabbing her phone, " I think it's best I get going, don't want to scare my parents, bye Chloe," Chloe could only wave as the bluenette closed the door, leaving the room utterly silent, she could feel her tears falling and heart-squeezing.

Thursday

Nathaniel opened Chloe's bedroom door, seeing the blonde hugging her pillow tightly, he walked over to her and poked her nose," Come on sleepy-head, we have to leave in twenty minutes, " Chloe dug herself within her covers, Nathaniel sighed and tugged on the covers, " If you don't wake up, I'll get Adrien," Chloe groaned in response, falling off the bed, Nathaniel laughed. She stood up, grabbed the clothes on her dresser and headed in her bathroom, " You sit there, I'll be out in ten minutes," he nodded and the bathroom door closed, Nathaniel looked around the room, seeing Chloe's comb, he went over to it and touched it, Pollen popped out yawning herself, " Hmm, oh, hello Nathaniel," Pollen said, waving.

Longg came from his jacket, flying over to Pollen, the two then sit and chat, Nathaniel smiled at the scene, the door to the bathroom opened and Chloe came walking out clothed, brushing her hair, " Nath, can you help with my hair," he nodded, getting up following her to her mirror, after a few minutes he moved back. Chloe's hair was down and curly, " Nath, I forgot to straighten my hair," he shook his head, " It looks better in curls, trust me, no makeup needed either," she nodded smiling, before getting up and slipping on her tennis shoes, Nathaniel grabbed Chloe's comb and put it in her hair, " Thanks, Nath," he only smiled and opened the door, the two went in the elevator to the bottom floor.

They exited the elevator, Adrien and Marinette were standing there waiting for them, Adrien turned to them and wave, " Chloe, I love your look, you always looked better in curls," Chloe nodded feeling her face warm, the four walked out of the hotel and towards the town, the four entered an ice cream shop and looked at the menu. The person behind the counter turned to them, " What would you four like," Nathaniel knew what he wanted from the top of his head, along with Adrien, " Mint Chocolate Chip, " the two boys said in sync, Adrien turned to Nathaniel smiling, Nathaniel turned bright red and smiled as well, " Peach," Chloe said, eyeing the menu, " Strawberry, please," Marinette said.

Adrien gave the man 15 euros before anyone could recline, the four took a seat in a booth, boys facing girls, " So does anybody got any plans next week," Adrien asked, Nathaniel, shook his head as he fiddled with sleeve, Chloe looked over at Marinette who was contemplating on something, " Actually, I was wondering, Adrien, if you were doing anything this Saturday," Marinette blurted out. He turned to her, " No, not at the moment, why," the smile still on his face, " I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date this Saturday, to the deli shop," everyone went silent, the waiter handed everyone their ice cream before taking off.

Adrien looked at his cone, " I would love to," Marinette felt herself grin and her stomach flutter, everyone went silent after that, Chloe didn't even look from her cone, knowing if she did, everything would come crashing down and Nathaniel kept his sight out of the window, keeping his cone close, a few minutes of silence was replaced by screaming.

The four looked out the window seeing citizens running for their lives, Akuma attack the four thought, " Me and Nath have to go call our parents about where we are, just in case father starts to panic," Chloe said, grabbing Nathaniel''s hand running out of the store, and in the alleyway, " Buzz on," Chloe said, " Fire up," Nathaniel whispered. The two then used their weapons to get to the top of the tower, " There," Nath said, pointing to a building, the two ran over to the building, Ladybug and Chat beside them, " Nice of you two to drop in," Chat said, grinning, Nathaniel grinned back while Chloe rolled her eyes, " Come out, Ladybug and Chat Noir, along with your friends, for I Rockstone will destroy everything you value," rock soldiers started to come from the ground.

Nathaniel and Chat jump down to the citizens, using their staff to knock them back, Chloe and Ladybug headed towards Rockstone, who was using the building material to make rocks, he threw them at buildings, cars, and windows, Chloe flipped over to him and tapped his shoulder. He turned around, " You know you're breaking at least thirty-rules," Chloe said, her brows furrowed, he swung at her but she flipped out of the way, Ladybug used her yo-yo to trip his feet, he fell on his back before jumping up, " You brats are getting on my nerve," he grasped his hands together and rock soldiers popped from behind Ladybug and Chloe.

Two grabbed ahold of Ladybug's arms, and another two grabbed her legs, Chloe went to swing but rock started to form around her feet and up to her torso, Rockstone walked over to Ladybug who was struggling, Chloe started to squirm out of the tight squeeze, her eyes full of panic, " Do something," she told herself, Chloe started to hit the rock around her torso. It started to crack, Chloe bit her lip from the pain, her knuckles were screaming at her, she managed to get one foot out and used it to break the other, finally, she falls to her knees, her hands bruised and shaky, she ran up to him and paralyzed him from behind, he froze and she used her dreidel to knock back the rock soldiers.

Ladybug used her yo-yo to knock off the rest of the rock soldiers, " Queen Bee, are you okay," Ladybug said, eyeing Chloe's hands, " I'll be fine, use that bag of yours, so we can end this," Ladybug nodded and searched in her bag, Chloe held her hands to her chest, her whole body shaking and screaming at her," My Lady, we don't have much time left," Chat yelled from below. Nathaniel swung hard, knocking the rock soldiers body apart, sweat dripping from his forehead, his necklace started beeping, Chat's ring was also beeping but he kept his grin as he swung, Ladybug pulled out a magnifying glass, she looked through it and saw a paper sticking out of Rockstone's pocket. 

" Queen Bee, it's the paper sticking out of his jacket," Chloe nodded and gripped her weapon, wincing, she swung it around his arm, it wrapped and she tugged, causing him to trip but he kept his footing, he tugged back and Queen Bee went flying straight ahead right into him, he fell with Queen Bee on him, Chloe huffed and took the paper from his pocket, " Ladybug, catch," she threw it and Ladybug jump in the air. Catching it, she ripped it in two, watching the Akuma fly out before being cleaned, Chloe got off the man and leaned against an air vent, the soldiers turned into rock dust and floated off in the air, Chat looked at his ring, seeing he only had one left, " It looks like I have to leave early, till next time," Chat said, waving to Nath, before running.

Nathaniel checked his necklace seeing two, he huffed and started to make his way up the building, Ladybug felt her ring start to beep to three, she ran over to Chloe, who was holding her hands to her chest, breathing heavily, " Queen Bee, are you okay," she asked, crouching down. Chloe leaned against the air vent, tears in her eyes, " It hurts, but I can manage," Nathaniel got on the roof, still huffing, " Queenie," Nathaniel shouted, he ran over to her and picked her up, " I got her, don't worry," Nathaniel then started jumping from roof to roof, heading towards his house, when the two hit the ground, he sneaked into his room and they de-transformed.

He set her on his bed, running downstairs to get ice and a rag, Chloe looked at her hands, seeing them shaking from trauma, both of her hands were bleeding and bruised, she could feel it trickle down her arm, Nathaniel ran over to her, supplies in hand, " Oh, Chloe, it looks you got into a fight," Nathaniel began to clean off the dry blood sticking to her hands. Nathaniel wrapped the wet cloth around her hands and went into his bathroom, coming back out with a medkit, he removed the cloth and started to pour alcohol on it, " It's gonna burn for a bit, so hold tight," Chloe only sighed in response, he dapped it around the torn skin, causing her to flinch in pain," Only for a bit more, I promise," he did the same to other had, getting the same response.

Chloe shuddered as he wrapped bandages around her fists after he finished he cleaned up the mess and sat beside her, " It's okay, Chloe, just go to sleep, I'll be here," she only nodded before shutting her eyes, Nathaniel grabbed her phone seeing notifications. He looked to see five messages from Adrien, asking if she's okay and is safe, he smiled at caring boy's messages and texted back, **" Chloe isn't doing too good, we got into a little trouble when hiding, a rock soldier grabbed her from behind and she started to fight back, injuring her knuckles in response, I knocked him back and picked up Chloe, running back to safety, I got her and everything has been taken cared of,"** Immediately he texted back. 

**" Is she okay, send me a picture,"** Nathaniel pressed the picture app, and snapped a few, before sending it to Adrien, **" Is it bad,"** he leaned against the wall, **" Just a little, but she won't need stitches if you're asking, she just went to sleep from exhaustion, nothing to worry about, promise,"** he felt his face grow warm as the boy texted back. **" Thank you so much, Nath, I mean it, make sure to text me when she wakes up, my number is **********, see ya,"** Nathaniel quickly put the number in his phone, feeling his stomach flutter, " Your welcome," Nathaniel then closed his eyes, smiling warmly.

Friday

Chloe blinked open her eyes, taking in her surroundings, she stopped and she saw Nathaniel sleeping on wall, clutching her phone, Chloe grabbed it from his hand and he fell on his side, she checked her messages and stopped at one, it was from Marinette, **" Chloe, I can't believe it, he said yes, everything we worked for led up to this moment, I just wanna dance and sing, I just don't know how much I wanna thank you, I'm glad we're friends,"** Chloe sighed to herself. Again feeling tears form, they were just falling and she didn't stop them, " I hope she's happy, she and Adrien were meant to be, I'm happy for them," Nathaniel's eyes fluttered open and he yawned.

He sat up and turned to Chloe, " Chloe, are you okay," he asked, concerned and worried, she just put her arms out, " H-hug," Nathaniel embraced her and they fell back, she just cried into his neck gripping tightly, Nathaniel rubbed her back trying his best to comfort her, after a while, she looked up from his neck," No school, hungry," he chuckled and nodded. Nathaniel went to move but Chloe wouldn't budge, " Carry me to the kitchen," he sighed, then he slid off the bed and onto his feet, Nathaniel made his way downstairs to see his mother left for work, he opened his fridge taking out cereal and milk, putting it on his table, he put her in a chair before grabbing two bowls along with spoons.

He poured her a bowl before himself after he finished he put the milk back in the fridge, taking a seat in front of her, Chloe was slowly munching on some oats, eyes glued to the bowl, " Nath, do-do you like Adrien," Nathaniel spit out some milk, coughing into his fist, " Why would ask such a question like that," Chloe looked up from her bowl with sadden eyes. " I don't wanna hurt you, by helping Marinette get t-," Nathaniel slammed his fist on the table, " Chloe, you're not doing anything wrong to me, you're doing yourself wrong, I don't have a chance with Adrien but at least I can help, you're shoving Marinette in his face when you know you want her doing the same to you, why do you do this to yourself," Chloe flinched.

Nathaniel huffed and sighed, " You don't think I want to tell her, but I can't, she wants to be happy not forced, if I try now everything I have with her will be for nothing, the look on her face when I saw her crying telling me that she was tired of the constant teasing from me, saying she will never have Adrien, do you think she would want me, do you, no, so I'm doing myself a favor," Nathaniel goes to grab her hand but she pulls back. Her eyes filled with despair, " Don't, don't touch me," Chloe sniffled and sat up, " I'm going back to my hotel, see you later Nath," she quickly put on her shoes and left the house, clutching her phone as she called a cab, when she got to her room, she slammed the door, Pollen flew out of her jacket, " I know Pollen, I'm calling room service," Chloe sat on her bed and called the chef's number.

After the waiter dropped off the honey, she took a seat on her bed and closed her eyes, a knock causes her to groan and the door opens, Marinette was peeking her head out smiling, " Chloe, I hope you don't mind, but I need your help with the date tomorrow," Chloe shuddered to herself before getting up, " I already have just the thing for you," Chloe said, walking over to her drawer. Pulling out earpieces, " We both wear these if you need any help on the date, the rest is up to you, it's that simple," Marinette nodded, taking one and putting it in her ear, " To turn it off slid the button down, I suggest to have your hair down when you're on the date, causes a less chance to get caught," Marinette slid the bottom down, smiling. Chloe smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, " Chloe, thank you so much," Marinette goes to hug her but Chloe moves out of the way, " You best be going, don't wanna be tired for the big day tomorrow," Marinette nodded and left the room, shutting the door, this time Chloe didn't cry, she just laid on her bed and closed her eyes.

Saturday

Chloe had dreaded this day since Marinette had the confidence to ask Adrien out, but she kept her true feelings and bottled them up, she got dressed and went in the elevator dragging her feet to the exit, she got into her limo and gave him the directions, when she arrived she felt a cold breeze rush past her face, in the distance, she could see the two ordering their food. She could hear their voices as they ordered in her earpiece, " I'm here, Marinette, just be yourself," Marinette turned to her and nodded, Chloe went three tables away from them ordering a small sandwhich, when they got their order Marinette started to spark a conversation, Chloe smiled at the two, seeing them laughing and do small funny gestures.

Adrien went to throw away his sandwhich paper, and Marinette leaned into her earpiece, " I'm gonna do it, Chloe, wish me luck," Chloe nodded and gave her a thumbs-up, Adrien went back over, " Marinette I'll be right back, I gotta use the restroom," she nodded at Adrien, forcing a smile, Chloe wished boys weren't so boys. Chloe got up and went to follow Adrien, listening to him from behind a trash can, " I don't want to hurt her feelings, she had so much courage just to ask me, and spend time planning this, but I don't feel any romantic feelings towards her," Chloe shifted knocking over an empty can, Adrien turned to her and she froze, " Chloe," he asked squinting at her.

She started to sheepishly laugh, " Adrien, what a surprise seeing you here, haha," Chloe felt herself start to sweat, Adrien moved towards her and his eyes widen with realization, " You're spying on us, aren't you," Chloe took a step back, hitting a wall, " I have no idea what you're talking about, I just happened to throw away my trash at the same time as you walked out of the bathroom, classic misconception," Adrien frowned not buying any of it. " Why are you spying on us, Chloe," he asked, tapping his feet, arms crossed, " Why don't you like her back," she asked, Adrien's eyes widen, " I-I didn't want to hurt her feelings, she managed to gather the courage just to ask me and I just didn't have the heart to tell her no," he confessed, still frowning.

Chloe shook her head, panicking, " You have to like her, Adrien, you have to," she said, narrowing her brows, Adrien scratched his neck, " I just can't Chloe, trust me I tried," Chloe gripped her hair, taking a step towards him, " Try harder," she said, glaring, Adrien glared back, " No I won't, Chloe, why are you so upset about this," she ignored him and took another step closer. Adrien took a step back, " Why are you acting like this," Chloe finally stopped, and fell to her knees, " Please, you have to, I tried so hard, just to give her the confidence to ask you, if you don't everything I worked for will be for nothing, I made a promise, if I don't keep it, she won't be happy and I won't either," Chloe said, gripping his jeans. 

Adrien gave her a sadden expression, " You-You love her, don't you," Chloe let her arms fall to her sides, she nodded feeling tears sliding down her cheeks and onto the floor, Adrien crouched down with her and embraced her, " Oh, Chloe, why are you hurting yourself," she just smiled at him, " You said helping those you love hurts but it will be worth it in the end," Adrien only gripped her tighter. Familiar shoes came into view, causing Chloe to flinch, she looked up and saw Marinette standing there the earpiece in her hand, Adrien pulled back and followed her eyes, he froze, " Chloe, I-I can't, I don't feel the same, I'm sorry," Chloe only stared at her hands, Adrien just gave Marinette such a sorrowful expression before the girl ran off.

Chloe pulled back before Adrien could say a thing, citizens' screams were heard from afar, " I'm sorry Chloe, but I have to go," she watched as he left too, Pollen popped out and gave her a worried expression, " Buzz on," Chloe stood up and headed for the noise, in the distance she could see Nathaniel and Chat fighting wooden puppets with their staff. She looked up and followed the dropping puppets when she reached the top she saw Ladybug using her yo-yo to knock them off the building, " Ladybug I got them, you go get rid of the Akuma," Ladybug gave her a concerned look before heading towards the Akuma, Chloe looked down at the puppets with a dull look.

The puppets only smiled in response, she began to use her dreidel to knock them off and crack them, she looked to right seeing Ladybug searching through her bag, the Akuma tied up by her yo-yo, she looked down and saw Nathaniel and Chat laughing as they hit back the puppets, she smiled at the scene but suddenly she felt a burning sensation from her back to her stomach. She slowly looked down to her stomach and saw a sword sticking out of her, blood started to ooze down to her leg and on the ground making her fall to her knees, the puppet pulled it out and did it again, she then fell and rolled on her back, using her right hand to clutch her wound.

The puppet walked up to her face, still smiling, it reached for her miraculous only to fall backward, lifeless, Chloe looked to see the sword turn into a toy version, blood sill staining it, " N-at-h," she whispered, trying so hard to shout, yell, move, do anything but she couldn't, her body was falling asleep on her, she could hear faint cheering from afar, making her smile. She de-transformed and Pollen was staring at her with tears, " Queenie," Nathaniel shouted, staff in hand, grinning like a goof, Chloe could only listen to Nathaniel call out her name as dots covered her vision, " Queenie, where are you," he yelled, she could hear him getting closer, Nathaniel jumped to the building Ladybug pointed him to, Chat and Ladybug were waiting for the two on a building across from him. 

Nathaniel reached the building, he looked and saw Chloe's foot peeking from behind two air vents, " Nice hiding spot Queenie," Nathaniel laughed and jumped behind the air vents, his expression dropped, laying right front of him was Chloe, but surrounded by a puddle of her blood, her skin no longer bright but pale, a puppet one foot away from her and a red tainted toy sword behind her. He dropped to his knees and pulled her close, shaking like a leaf, " Ch-loe," his voice barely above a whisper, she only gave him a faint smile before struggling to keep her eyes open, Chat and Ladybug made their way over to them, confused and worried, Chat dropped his staff at the sight along with Ladybug.

He ran over to them, shaking Chloe," Chloe, Chloe, wake up," hot tears were dropping from his cheeks, and onto her’s, Chat took her from Nathaniel, " We need to take her to a hospital," Chat said, quickly, Chloe's comb fell on Nathaniel's lap as Chat jumped roof to roof, covering Chloe as he headed for the hospital, Nathaniel grabbed her comb, meeting eyes with Ladybug, who was just staring at the puddle of blood. " Ladybug," he asked, tears still falling, she looked him in the eyes before she dropped to her knees, tears running down her face, Nathaniel could only watch gripping the comb in his hand. 

Sunday

Nathaniel and Adrien were sitting beside a hospital bed across from each other, staring at a very pale Chloe, who was silently sleeping, “ I-I don’t know what to do,” Adrien said, squeezing Chloe’s hand, Nathaniel kept his head down fiddling with Chloe’s comb, “ I...thought that if I kept everything in a thin line, it would all work out, even if I didn’t agree with it,” he let out a wheeze. Shedding a few tears as he sighed, “ I was supposed to put on this big do it all act, keeping everything juggled in the air as if didn’t bug me, it made everyone’s day when I would say yes to everything because they knew they could count on me, and I didn’t bother telling them, that I was slowly breaking,” he shuddered.

He then leaned back into the chair, letting out a deep whimper, “ I’m a human too, I have needs, and feelings, and desires, it’s just not fair, why can’t I decide for me, not for my father or the public, now, everything is slowly crumbling around me, and this time I can’t find a way to stop it,” he leaned towards the bed, his front-facing Nathaniel. His eyes full of guilt and sorrow, Nathaniel looked up, meeting his eyes, “ I even tried pushing aside my feelings for you, but look where that got me, I agreed to go on a date with Marinette, not even considering her feelings or mine, or even Chloe’s, I’m just a terrible excuse of a person,” his eyes dropping to the bed.

Nathaniel shifted in his seat, before getting up, Chloe’s comb still in his grasp, he walked to the other side dragging his chair with him, before plopping down on it, right next to Adrien, “ Adrien, not all people can admit that, you’re not a terrible excuse of a person, you’re a brave and caring person, that I have also grown to love,” Nathaniel grabbed Adrien’s left hand, gripping it tight. The two boys sat in silence as they listened to Chloe’s breathing, soon soothing them to sleep, Pollen popped out of the comb and floated over to Chloe, pressing her tiny hand to her forehead, she nearly shivered at the abnormal coldness she felt rush through her palm.

Longg floated over to Pollen, frowning, “ Pollen, she’s gonna be fine,” Longg said, putting his hand on her shoulder, she only tensed in response, and took a seat on Chloe’s chest, Longg joined her in silence, watching as his friend stared at her miraculous holder with sadden eyes. He took a deep breath and knew everything was gonna be just fine, it just needed time to heal.

Monday 

He dragged himself out of bed and to the bathroom, his hair was sticking in every direction resembling his heroine form, memories flooded his mind and he opened the cabinet taking out his toothpaste before shutting it, avoiding to look in the mirror as he brushed his teeth tapping his fingers against the sink, " Mmmm, mmmm," he sang a tune trying to ease himself. After he finished, he spits out his mouthwash and wipes his face, before brushing his hair and leaving the bathroom, heading downstairs bag in hand, " Nathaniel," he turned, his mother was sitting down eating breakfast, a solemn look on her face, " Yes," he replied, her mouth opened before closing, " Nothing, just have a good day," she smiled at him as he shut the door.

T _he roads are slow today,_ he thought as he walked, listening to everything around him, laughing, talking, hugging, even smiling, it made himself grin, just for a bit before he went dull and walked up the stairs to the school, there he saw Adrien looking down griping his satchel as Nino tried to talk to him, a few feet away he saw Marinette and Ayla, the bluenette looked as if she was shaking, her eyes glued to the floor. Nathaniel took one more step before Adrien and Marinette turned to him, he wanted so bad to scowl at Marinette and tell her off for hurting Chloe, but he knew Chloe wouldn't want that and the setting was bad enough as it is, so he only squinted at her before walking over to Adrien, who looked like he needed a hug, " Hey, Nath," Adrien said, his voice hoarse and exhausted.

He knew that the boy needed someone to hold on before he started busting out in tears, " Hey, Adrien, how are you feeling," that did it, the blonde started to shake and his face scrunched up before tears started dropping like raindrops, Nathaniel walked up to him and embraced the boy. Adrien happily accepted, gripping him while full out sobbing in his neck, people were beginning to stare but that didn't stop him, it only caused him to squeeze tighter, " Hey, it's okay Adrien, no one's stopping you, just let it out, I'm here," that's all he needed before he yelled in his shirt, people walking by took out their phones and started recording.

Nathaniel glared at them with shame, " Come on, let's get inside before reporters start to show up," he said, rubbing his back, Adrien nodded and pulled back, letting out a weak chuckle, " Thanks, Nath," he only smiled in response before grabbing Adrien's arm, walking in the building, heading for class ignoring any looks people gave them, Nathaniel decided to sit next to Adrien, Nino agreed moving down a seat. He almost completely forgot that Marinette and Ayla sat behind them, he felt discomfort and annoyed as he felt eyes on him, though being beside Adrien calmed him down, he turned to him, Nathaniel felt himself float as he saw his face bright pink, " Nath, do you mind, if um during lunch I can lean on you, I didn't get much sleep last night," Nathaniel almost fell out of his seat.

He quickly nodded feeling his face warm-up, Adrien beamed before staring back at the board keeping himself composed, lunch came fast, Adrien and Nathaniel grabbed their trays, " Follow me, I know a place where it's quiet," Adrien nodded, following Nathaniel, he led him to a storage room, filled with boxes and tables, " I usually come here when I wanna draw or need to relax," Adrien looked around the room with awe. Nathaniel took a seat near the table, Adrien joined him, " So, you gonna lean on me," he asked, poking at his peaches, a few seconds he felt soft hair, brush his neck along with weight on his left shoulder, " Thanks, I just need to close my eyes for a little bit," Adrien said, his eyes closed and breathing softly. 

The red-head felt his heart pick-up as he heard small snores echo the room, he quietly picked up his sandwhich and took a bite, a frown forming on his face, " Chloe would have a laugh at this, if only," a crash awoke him out of his thoughts, " An Akuma," he whispered, fear striking him, he turned to Adrien who was still asleep, " Adrien, Adrien, wake up, theres an Akuma attack," the blonde groaned before sitting up. A yawn escaping his lips, " Hmm, what is it," he asked, turning to Nataniel, " There's an Akuma attack," Adrien's eyes widen and he got up, " For how long," Nathaniel glanced at his watch and back to Adrien, " Just a few minutes ago, I gotta go do something, stay here," Nathaniel got up and ran to the door before Adrien grabbed his arm.

" Don't leave," Adrien pleaded, Nathaniel turned to him, confused and worried, " But, I gotta go, I promise to be back," Adrien shook his head, not letting go, " No, just stay here," Nathaniel shook his head and escaped his grip before getting hugged, " Please, I'm begging you, don't go, I don't want you to end up like Chloe, please," he said, gripping tightly, tears soaking the back of Nathaniel's shirt. Nathaniel went limp, listening to the blondes whimpers, "I won't end up like her, I promise, let me prove it, just close your eyes and take a step back, trust me," Adrien let out a shaky sigh and took a step back, his eyes closed tight, Nathaniel turned and took a deep breath, " Longg, fire up," Nathaniel whispered, in a flash, he was Liin Drakon, " Open your eyes and don't freak," Adrien opened his eyes.

The boy's jaw dropped, Nathaniel took a step back embarrassed, " I knew it was too much, I should haven-" Adrien shook his head, grabbing his arm, " No, no, it's not that, it's just, I have a little secret as well," Adrien said, pulling his arm back, before grinning at him, " Plagg, claws out," Adrien changed into Chat Noir, causing Nathaniel's eyes to widen, " Y-ou're Chat Noir," Adrien nodded, his face bright red. Nathaniel started to burst out laughing, Adrien joined him, the two leaning on each other, tears of joy peeking out of the corner of their eyes, " I should have known, since... Chloe is Queen Bee and you two are so close, same hair, eyes, and voice, it should have been obvious, I-I should have known but I didn't," Adrien's voice dropped, his shoulders slumping.

Nathaniel put his hand on his shoulder, shaking his head, " Adrien, it's fine, it's in the past, all that matters is that we keep our self composed, for Chloe," Adrien sniffled and turned to him, " Okay, come on, let's go fight an Akuma," the two-headed for the fire exit and jumped out the window, using their staff to get up top, " I see Ladybug straight ahead," Nathaniel said, pointing to a building, Adrien nodded using his staff to jump up to it, Nathaniel on his trail. Ladybug was knocking back fruits, sweat dripping on her forehead, Adrien went to help but ended up falling on his behind, the woman dressed in fright colors laughed at the scene, pausing her attack before shooting again, Nathaniel took this into mind, helping Adrien up, " Chat, she seemed to stop shooting whenever you trip on that banana peel, maybe we can distract her while Ladybug tries to find the Akuma," Chat nodded and grinned. 

He went over to Ladybug, " My Lady, we're gonna distract her, hurry and find the Akuma," she nodded and jumped back, Adrien ran over to the woman and purposely falling on the floor, his butt sticking up in the air, he let out a groan, " Haha, I can't believe you didn't see that, you dumb cat," the woman laughed, slapping her knee, Nathaniel accidentally tripped on a pile of pineapples and fell face flat on a smooshed banana. This caused the woman to laugh hysterically, " You guys should see your faces right now, it's priceless," Ladybug pulled out a basket, she looked around the roof only seeing fruit, the boys, and the Akuma, her mind clicked, she started to pick up apples throwing them in the basket, " Hey, why don't you join them," she threw the basket at her, and the apples flew out and one hit her in the stomach causing her to lose her balance and drop her gun. 

It broke and the Akuma flew out, Ladybug used her yo-yo and cleansed it, Adrien and Nathaniel got up, rubbing their sore body and turned to Ladybug, she gave them a small smile and held out her fist, Adrien fist-pumped her before she hugged him, Nathaniel watched a frown on his face as Ladybug was tearing up, " I- she, I'm sorry," she croaked, shaking. She looked over to Nathaniel, guilt, and shame in her eyes, " It's not your fault, my lady, things happen, we just gotta pray for the best, don't beat yourself up about it," Ladybug only teared up more, letting out shudders as she breathed, Nathaniel looked across the building, staring at the hospital in the distance, " Come on, Chloe, we're all waiting for you," he whispered. 

Tuesday 

_Few people surrounded a sorta black shaped box, Marinette could hardly make it out, People were dressed in black and many women had black veils covering their face as they wore hats that were also black, dark brown benches were in rows stopping four feet away from where the people stood hovering over the black shaped box, men dressed in black suits, pants, and ties, their hair pushed back respectfully. She looked at her feet to see black flats and saw she was wearing a black sleeveless dress going all the way to her knees but also wearing an over black thin jacket stopping at her lower abdomen, and black gloves stopping at her wrists, confused and worried, a clock ticked and everything changed, everyone was sitting and the sound of a piano could be heard._

_Marinette looked and saw Adrien dressed in black like everyone else playing the piano and in the front row she could see Nathaniel staring at ...a casket, her mind finally clicked with realization, she was attending a funeral, but who's, she looked around the others rows seeing her classmates sitting in a section, a low sob caused her to look left, next to Nathaniel sat Mr. Bourgeois and his ex-wife, who was staring at the casket with a straight posture and silence. She began walking up to the casket, every step causing the piano to grow louder and the voice of the paster to follow, when the casket got close everything stopped, she looked over the casket seeing Chloe Bourgeois, laying there with abnormal pale skin and her blonde hair, straight and let out, she was dressed in a yellow sundress with sunflowers designed on it._

_No, no, this can't be happening, she wasn't dead, she's still alive and breathing at the hospital the last time she visited her, her wound was stitched and healing, her heartbeat still beating, her chest still rising, her body fidgeting time to time, and her curly hair messy and glossy, this wasn't Chloe, this was an imposter, the clocked ticked again, this time she was outside surrounded by graves, everyone was standing this time and looking over at the paster. The casket being held by hooks that were hooking onto the bottom handles, a trench under the casket, Marinette ran over to it but the clocked ticked again before she could touch it, it was raining and four people were standing over a grave, with umbrellas, she ran again but this time the clocked watched, she saw Adrien with his father looking at the grave, Adrien had tears and sorrowful eyes, in his hand a single rose._

_She looked over to right, seeing Nathaniel also staring at the grave, his mother standing beside him, his eyes showed despair as he held the rose, not wanting to let go, the two boys walked over to the grave, looking at one and another, Adrien gave a small hiccup while Nathaniel only shivered, " Stay strong, Adrien, Chloe would have wanted that for you," Adrien swallowed his spit, nodding before setting down his rose. Nathaniel let out a shuddered sigh before setting his down as well, thunderstruck and the rain grew harder, " Just remember, we always got each other," Nathaniel grabbed Adrien's hand, offering him a small smile, Adrien smiled back, squeezing his hand, " We love you, Chloe, don't forget that," they said in sync, shedding tears._

_Marinette dropped to her knees, her dress soaked and legs shivering, on the gravestone it said, Here Lies Chloe Bourgeois, a friend, a daughter, a sister, and a hero, 2005-2020, it was real and she was never coming back, " Chloe," she screamed, gripping the grass._ Marinette sat up, her face sweaty and red, tears rolling down her cheeks and her chest rising up and down at a quick pace, " It's not real, it's not real, it's not real, it's not real," she repeats, gripping her sheets, tears still falling, she looked over to her clock, it showed 4:40. 

There was no way she could go back to sleep, she got up and went to her terrace, staring at the night sky, " Could she-no, she's not, she's alive and sleeping at the hospital, stitched and healing, she'll be fine, I know it," a memory-filled her head, _" Chloe, I-I can't, I don't feel the same, I'm sorry," she saw the look in the blonde's eyes as she spoke those words, it looked as if someone just stomped on her heart, because someone did, she did._ Marinette pushed her hair back, " I'm so sorry, Chloe, If only I noticed earlier, I would have come to help, I would have got over my stupid crush and start to realize, that you needed me, and now you're alone barely surviving," she let out a shaky sigh before walking back in her room. 

Morning came agonizing slowly, Marinette got dressed, and walked downstairs, her Maman and Papa were getting ready to open shop, " Have a good day at school, sweetie," Mr.Dupang-Cheng said, she only nodded, giving a small smile as she walked out the door, her eyes staring at the buildings, people, and couples that passed by holding hands and laughing, it made her stomach twist at the sight. Her heart filled with envy and guilt, she pushed on and walked up the stairs, seeing Adrien and Nathaniel close to each other, it reminded her of yesterday, seeing Adrien break down like that, it made her want to cry herself but that would be selfish, it was Adrien's pain, not her's, she made her way to class, sitting in her seat.

Ayla didn't show up today which caused her mood to pummel, now she wouldn't have someone to talk to or listen to, the day went on slowly and she watched Adrien and Nathaniel from afar, Nathaniel seemed to make Adrien smile as he did Nathaniel, the two were meant for each other, she was stupid not to see it, this was probably why Adrien didn't feel the same because he was harboring feelings for Nathaniel. As did Nathaniel, she caused them not to be together sooner, if only she had any sense this wouldn't have happened, everyone would have been smiling and laughing, not frowning and crying, " This is my fault, I caused this, this pain," Marinette ran to the bathroom, keeping her head down. 

When she opened the door, she had another flashback, _Chloe wiped Marinette's tears before stepping back, " Now, no more crying, it's not good for your complexion, bye-bye," Chloe waved and walked out of the bathroom,_ Marinette bit her bottom lip, before turning on the sink, quickly washing her face before sighing, " This is your fault, so stop running from it," she told herself, glaring in the mirror. The bell rang, and she sighed, dragging herself out and grabbed her stuff from her locker, heading out of the school and straight home, this was her everyday schedule now, " I'm home, Maman and Papa," she said, as she entered the bakery, Mr. Dupang-Cheng turned to her giving off a bright smile, full of love and affection, " Your mother's getting ingredients," he said. 

A question poped in her head, " Papa, when did you figure out you were in love with Maman," Mr. Dupang-Cheng eyes widen before he let out a sheepish chuckle, " Well, your mother and I were friends before we got together, I grew in love with her every day but when high school happened I wasn't prepared for what happened, she told me about this guy who was a new foreign exchange student from America, turns out he was a huge hit with the ladies, swooping your mother with one look," he said, letting out a laugh. Mr. Dupang-Cheng sighed to himself, " I listened to her talk about him as if he was the next hot thing, though I supported her not wanting to drag my feelings into it, I helped her get together with the guy and next week they were holding hands, they did everything together and she forgot about me, I was happy as long as she was, two weeks later, she came crying in my arms," his eyes fell to the counter. 

He felt himself scowl before waving it off, " Turns out, he only agreed because of a dare, it made me feel sick to know I let this happen and I made things right, I may have lost my temper when I confronted him, I told him off saying your mother was supposed to treated like the beautiful woman she was, and that he lost something valuable, he ended up laughing in my face before I socked him in the face, and I almost lost myself before I felt someone grab my hand," Marinette bit her inner cheek. " Your mother had heard everything, and I felt awful, waiting for her to tell me off before she kissed my cheek, she grabbed my hand pulling me out of the mess I created and behind the school, I told her everything I had kept from her and she returned my feelings, we grew stronger and then we had you, I swear I've never been so happy when I saw your eyes open for the first time, I'm glad I waited half of my life just for her to say I do, your mother will always have my heart, no matter what," he said, smiling warmly.

Marinette felt her stomach twist in knots before she gave her father a smile, " Papa, I'm proud of your bravery, it makes me happy to know that you stuck up for someone you love, I'm going up to my room, call if you need me," she said, he nodded before returning to cleaning the counters, she walked up the stairs and fell on her bed, letting out a deep sigh, " Turns out, I'm the only selfish person in my family," she let out a shudder and pulled her covers up to her face before closing her eyes.

Wednesday

Everything felt sore and itchy, she tried to look around the room but her eyes were blurry from the amount of sun coming from the blinds, " Chloe," she nearly jumped at the voice but flinched instead, Pollen floated over to her with a look of relief, " Chloe, are you feeling alright," the blonde opened her mouth and started coughing hysterically, her throat sore and itchy. She heard the door open quickly and Pollen hid behind her pillow, a nurse opened the door with a bewildered look on her face, " She's awake, get the doctor, " the woman shouted out the door, Chloe grasped her throat trying to ease her coughing, tears forming from pain, another nurse ran in with a cup of water in her hand, handing it to Chloe, she took it and swallowed slowly trying not to choke. 

A doctor came in with a chart ushering the two women out the door before closing it, he dragged a seat next to the girl clicking his pen, " Mrs. Bourgeios, are you feeling sore in any places and is your position comfortable," she sat the cup down, and let out a pained sigh, " Just my left side, though my body seems to be weak for the most of it, and position is fine," he wrote everything down, before glancing at her skin complexion, " You still seem to be pale but better than last time we saw you, I recommend drinking a fair amount of water each day, at least two water bottles, along with a daily multivitamin containing folic acid, mostly vitamin C and vitamin B-12, if your stitches come out be sure to call the hospital, besides you can go home if you want," he said, moving his glasses up. Chloe nodded slowly, " I would like to go home, may I call my father," he nodded and handed her the telephone beside the bed, before getting up, " When you get home, I highly recommend a week of rest, don't want your stitches to come out or split, due to active tendencies, your medicine will be sent with you when you leave, along with any other personal items, that is all, goodbye," he waved, and closed the door on his way out. 

When she called the number her father immediately answered, " Hello, who is this," he asked, professionally, Chloe almost laughed at his act before her body yelled at her, " Father, I'm awake and would like to go home, please come as soon as you can," he exploded with questions, a small sob following behind them, " Calm down, I'm fine just a little sore, the doctor said I would have to avoid school for a week to rest and let my stitches heal before I can go, I'll be waiting to be picked up," she ended the call letting out a small cough. Pollen came out and sat on her chest, " Chloe, are you sure you're okay, you lost so much blood it looked like a murder scene," Chloe let out a choked gasp, " I'm fine, I just need to rest more before I'm back on my feet, I promise, now, let's get out of these awful and itchy hospital clothes," Pollen moved and sat on the table, by her comb.

Chloe went to sit up and let out a sharp yelp, before hissing, " Nope, looks like this gonna take a while," Pollen watched with a frown, Chloe managed to get to her feet and started shuffling towards the bathroom, taking her cleaned bagged up clothes with her, Pollan could hear her cursing behind the door and let out a small giggle, a few minutes later Chloe shuffled out the door. She almost forgot that her clothes looked like a hobo since she was helping... Marinette, Chloe waved it off and put her right hand over her wounded area before bending to pick up her shoes, easily slipping on the black tennis shoes, she then shuffled towards the nightstand picking up her comb and slipped it in her pocket, Pollen floated over to her and hopped in her hoodie pocket. 

A few gentle knocks came from the door, " Come in," she called out, moving her hair back, reminding herself to take a bath when she got home, the door opened and her father walked in, concern and worry on his face, " You ready to go, Chloe," he asked, holding the door open, she nodded and walked towards the door, pressing her right hand towards her stitched area. Her father signed the papers and grabbed the medicine, Chloe grabbed her phone when they got outside, people with cameras and microphones were surrounding them, " How did you end up like this Mrs. Bourgeois, did it have to do with the Akuma attack last Saturday, can you explain why Chat Noir was running to the hospital with you in his arms, are you two dating," her father, pushed by the people grabbing Chloe's left hand. 

The two entered the limo before the driver drove off, " Chloe, do you mind telling me what happened when Chat Noir dropped you off at the hospital, without explaining any except that you badly hurt, " she turned to her father, bitting her inner cheek, " I ended up getting attacked by one of the puppets while trying to defend myself, Chat Noir happen to see me and helped me to the hospital, before leaving," he nodded, and the limo stopped. They stepped out of the limo, and inside, " I'm going to my studies, call room service if you need help, be careful, I love you," he said, kissing her forehead before leaving to his studies, Chloe entered the elevator after it came to her stop, she exited it and headed for her room when she walked in she was greeted by cheers. 

She ended up jumping and yelped, clutching her right side, " Chloe," three voices yelled in panic, she raised her left hand before straightening her posture, letting out a hiss before opening her eyes, seeing Nathaniel, Chat, and Ladybug, " I'm fine, I'm fine, calm down, just give me a minute, " she said, sighing and leaned against her door, a few seconds later she got off the door, " Okay, now I'-." Nathaniel and Chat ran towards her and embraced her, making sure not to squeeze too tight. She hugged back, the two boys were weeping on her shoulder letting out whimpers, " I'm alright, just a few stitches and blood lose but I'm okay," the boy's pulled back, sniffling, she looked behind them seeing Ladybug staring at her with glassy eyes. Chat grabbed her hand, " Chloe, I need to show you something," Nathaniel looked at her with a grin, " Plagg, claws in, " Chat's suit disappeared and Adrien was now staring at her with a sheepish smile, " Adrien," Chloe said, with wide eyes, she quickly turned to Nathaniel, " Go ahead, I know you want to," she said, crossing her arms, Nathaniel let out a chuckle, " Fire off, " Nathaniel changed into his civilian outfit. 

Chloe shook her head, " Nathaniel and I knew eachother already but Adrien, you sneaky cat, " she said, smiling, Adrien let out a laugh and leaned on Nathaniel, who grabbed his hand, Chloe's eyes widen with realization, " Wait, you two are dating, " she asked, grinning, Adrien's face redden and Nathaniel nodded a warm smile on his face as he squeezed his hand, " I'm so happy for you guys, I'm sorry for pushing you away Nathaniel, and trying to ask you to be who you aren't Adrien," she said, tears forming. Adrien and Nathaniel embraced her again as she tears up, " It's fine, Chloe, you helped us realize that we can't ignore the way we feel, and we thank you for that, " Nathaniel said, pulling back, wiping her tears off, still smiling, she let out a shaky sigh before nodding. 

Adrien stepped back, and his eyes widen, he slowly turned a sheepish grin on his face, " My lady, I'm sorry for surprising you like this, my name is Adrien Agreste, and this is my boyfriend, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, you already know Chloe, I'm sorry for revealing who I am but I couldn't just sit back, knowing Chloe could be hurt again, so I-I mean we decided to do what's best, so we know when to stay alert," Adrien said, bowing. Ladybug only stared with widening eyes and her mouth slightly open, everything clicked in her head and she felt ten times worst then she did, her eyes landed on Chloe, the blonde stared at her with concern and fear, she knew what she had to do, slowly she made her way to her, feeling Adrien and Nathaniel's eyes on her as she did.

Ladybug stopped when she was two feet apart, she sighed and bit her bottom lip, " Tikki spots off," it was a quick flash but she was now dressed in her civilian clothes, " M-arinette," Chloe whispered, again she was crying, Marinette went to grab her hand but Chloe stepped back, her eyes full of hurt and betrayal, " D-on't touch me, you-I-I can't," she then took off running, ignoring the pain on her left side. Marinette stared at the door as it closed, Adrien already went after her while Nathaniel walked over to Marinette, " You know, what you did wasn't your fault, you didn't cause her to have to be in the hospital but you did cause the pain she will be feeling until she learns to forgive you, tell me, how do you feel," Marinette grabbed her left arm, squeezing it.

Nathaniel watched in silence, " I-I feel guilty, I feel alone, I feel helpless, guilty to know I didn't just cause her pain but you and Adrien as well, alone because everything right in front of me is changing, and helpless because she won't ever look at me the way she did before the incident, now after all that has happened, I have grown feelings for her," he sighed in response, shaking his head. Marinette stared at the floor bitting back a whimper, " Now after everything you have told me, you're still standing here wallowing in guilt when she is out there injured and in pain," she turned to him, " Go, go before I change my mind," she ran out the door and down the stairs when she made it to the lobby, Adrien was standing there, " She's outside, behind the alley, just listen and you'll find her," she nodded and ran out the lobby door. 

She walked behind the hotel, rain hitting her face as she followed the sobbing in the distance until she saw her, leaning on some building with her head tucked in her knees and her hands grasping her hair, Marinette stopped right in front of her and crouched down, Chloe looked up and backed into the building, she yelped gasping her side, " Chloe, please listen to me," the blonde shook her head, her eyes closed shut. Marinette got on her knees and embraced her, " Please, I'm so sorry being for selfish, for being dense, for acting as if you weren't there half of the time, and how I only went over to your house just for advice, for throwing aside your feelings and showing up uninvited just to see if you were okay, Chloe, I love you too, so please don't leave me alone, please," Marinette dug her face into Chloe's neck, trying to bury her tears. 

The blonde pulled back, Marinette gripped her hands in shame, her tears falling on her lap, a hand lifted her chin and she met blue eyes, Chloe caressed her face and closed the distance between them, Marinette pushed into her clinging onto her shoulders, a smile formed on her face as Chloe put her arms around her neck, their clothes were getting soaked as the rain hit them. Marinette pulled back and stared into those blue eyes, " I'm sorry, Chloe, if only I was there, you wouldn't have gotten hurt, y-ou could of-" Chloe embraced her, she hugged back trying her best to stop her tears, " It's not your fault, it's no one's fault, it just happened, it was bound to, we're gonna get hurt, no one can stop it, just be ready to face it," Marinette nodded, pulling the blonde closer. 

Chloe's eyes widen, and she frowned, " Marinette, don't freak out, but my stitches have re-opened," the blunette pulled back quickly, seeing red on Chloe's left side, " I'm gonna call the paramedics, okay, so try to hold pressure on it," she pulled out her phone, dialing the number as Chloe cradled her side, hissing, " They'll be here soon, just hold on," Marinette put the blonde's head on her lap. The sound of the ambulance in the distance grew louder, footsteps followed behind them, Adrien and Nathaniel came into view, with worried expressions on their face, " I'm fine, so stop your whining," the boys ignored her, and sat next to them, Chloe was feeling rather tired, and closed her eyes, voices grew faint.

When she opened her eyes, she looked to see she was in the hospital again, Chloe let out a groan, Marinette, Adrien, and Nathaniel picked their heads up, turning to her looking concern, " The Doctor said, you'll be fine, but to stay off your feet for a few days, he also gave you some medicine, " Adrien said, showing a medicine bag, Chloe sighed, " Chloe, I'm sorry if I didn't make you run off, you wouldn't be here," Marinette said, frowning. Chloe grabbed her hand, smiling warmly, " It's fine, so stop frowning, it's killing the mood, you two stop as well, I'm alive, aren't I," Adrien and Nathaniel laughed, while Marinette smiled, giggling a bit, " So, are you two dating or what," Nathaniel said, raising his brow, smirking.

Marinette turned red, Chloe bit her bottom lip, feeling her face heat up, " Marinette will be my girl-" Marinette, kissed Chloe, interlocking their fingers, Adrien cheered, pulling Nathaniel close, the red-head blushed, celebrating as well, everyone was smiling and filled with bliss, it was perfect, and it was theirs. 

**THE END**


End file.
